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10 Questions with ... Dexter Holland
February 24, 2015
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1. Congrats on a great new song. Lots of Rock programmers have commented how this new song takes them back to vintage Offspring from the mid-'90s. Is this the same reaction you've been getting?
Yeah, I heard one guy say it really took him back to 2008!
2. Can you give us a quick history of when and how The Offspring originated? How did you guys all meet?
We all got together one night to go see Social Distortion. Unfortunately, there was a small riot at the venue and we didn't get in. We decided that night that we would go home and start our own band despite not one of us having learned how to play any instruments. We kind of just took it from there.
3. Last year the band celebrated 20 years since your iconic "Smash" release. To date, this is still the best-selling independent label album of all time. I'd love to get your thoughts, all these years later, on the experience of making that album and the reaction after?
It was an incredible time for me and the rest of the guys. Noodles was the janitor at our high school and people would recognize him from our videos being on MTV. I had to quit my PhD program at USC in order to go on tour. We felt like we were fighting an incredible fight being on Epitaph. When we went to Japan for the first time, I acted as the label rep since nobody from the label had ever gone and met the people there. It was a time of great community and optimism. We really felt like underdogs.
4. Now let's talk about the new single, "Coming For You." What was the inspiration for this song?
I'd been going to some hockey games and the energy/mob mentality of the crowd mixed with the mayhem on the ice made me want to write a song that would give me a similar feeling onstage when we played the song live. I can't wait to get out on tour to see if it worked!
5. Can you give us some details on the next album release from The Offspring? What's the title and when will it be released?
We do not have a title yet. I'm still in the process of writing it. We are trying to do this one a little bit differently. Usually, I write about 20 songs and we go and pick 12 to 14 and record them. This time we decided to write, record and put them out immediately. After we put enough of them out, we will put out the album. It either feels unconventional or like how they used to do things in the '60s when the Beatles would record singles and then put together an album. But I'm pretty sure that our fans would prefer to get something from us more quickly than have to wait a couple years every single time.
6. What about your plans for another tour in the future? I know last year you celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Smash with a worldwide and U.S. tour, but are you looking to head out on the road again anytime soon?
Definitely. We will be out starting this summer through the end of the year.
7. Like I mentioned earlier, Rock radio has really responded favorably to the new single. What's your take on Rock radio today? Do you have any favorite on-air radio moments you can share with us?
What can I say? Rock radio has been very kind to us. A favorite moment was doing a full band acoustic set on Pierre Robert's show on WMMR, something we'd never done before. Pierre is one of the greatest DJs out there -- really a genuine fan of us and rock music in general.
8. Who are some of the new artists who inspire you? Who is in your current playlist and are there any "guilty pleasure" songs we might be surprised to find on your playlist?
Well there is one guilty pleasure that I always go back to - "Mexican Radio" by Wall Of Voodoo. They're still one of my favorite bands of all time.
9. Besides your successful music career, I understand you're a licensed Airline Transport Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor who made a solo trip around the world in 10 days. How was that experience?
It was great. I don't know why but as soon as I got my pilot's license it felt like something I HAD to do ... it was just THERE. There's a complete sense of solitude I have when flying and in this instance there were times when I was away from radar and everything. That blank space for me is really important, especially if I want song ideas.
10. Finally, you also have your own brand of hot sauce named Gringo Bandito. I've tried it and it rocks. How did you become a world- class hot sauce producer?
It was something I really started doing for fun -- I just thought it would be cool to have a hot sauce. I started by giving it to friends but after getting a great response, I decided to put it out commercially. It's doing great and now we're in over 4,000 supermarkets nationwide.
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